About

Jang Dong Kun, Korean actor- National Ambassador Against Hunger

Star of not one but two unprecedented box office hits, and called by CNN the “ultimate poster boy for Korean pop culture,” Jang Dong Kun is one of Asia’s most celebrated actors. His meteoric rise to fame began with a talent contest in 1992, saw award-winning performances in a series of TV dramas, and included a film debut in 1997’s Repechage. However, it was his portrayal of a tough-talking gangster in Friends (2001) that marked the young actor’s real breakthrough – by smashing all box office records in Korea and earning him a Best Supporting Actor award.

Two high-profile roles later and Jang was back in the record books again; his leading performance in Kang Je-gyu’s epic Taegukgi (2004) – which surpassed even Friends to become the highest-grossing Korean film of all time – saw him named Best Actor at the prestigious Blue Dragon Film Awards, and made him the topic of conversation all across Asia.

Jang doesn’t just spend his time setting new records and collecting awards; he has also demonstrated a strong commitment to social issues through his various works. In addition, on December 3, 2008, he became WFP’s first ever National Ambassador Against Hunger for the Republic of Korea. Immediately after his appointment, the Korean megastar who found fame so early in life announced his personal commitment to the hungry children of Asia.

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Profession: Actor, singer and model. Named by Time Magazine (Asia Edition 2005) as a central figure in the Korean Wave Phenomenon.